Mims Davies MP backs National Strategy to tackle UV Radiation "Public Health Crisis" at Parliamentary Launch
Mims Davies, MP for East Grinstead, Uckfield, and the villages, discussed with colleagues the launch of a landmark report calling for a radical shift in the UK’s approach to ultraviolet (UV) radiation safety.
The report, “A Preventable Crisis: The Case for a National UV Safety Strategy,” was published by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Beauty, Hair & Wellbeing following a year-long inquiry. It warns that the UK currently lacks a cohesive strategy to mitigate the impact of UV radiation—a Group 1 carcinogen—at a time when melanoma cases are projected to rise by 9% by 2038.
Mims is supporting the report’s key recommendations, which include:
● Abolishing the “Sunscreen Tax”: Reducing VAT on children’s sunscreen (SPF 30+) to 0% and adult sunscreen to 5%, reclassifying it as essential preventative healthcare.
● Mandatory Sunbed Regulation: Introducing tobacco-style graphic health warnings on sunbeds and banning all sunbed advertising.
● Workplace Protection: Classifying UV radiation as an occupational hazard, requiring employers to provide sun protection as compulsory PPE for outdoor workers.
● Education Reform: Implementing mandatory UV safety education in primary and secondary schools.
Mims Davies MP said:
With 86% of melanoma cases being entirely preventable, we cannot afford to treat sun protection as a luxury or a seasonal concern.
In East Grinstead, Uckfield and the villages, I want to ensure that families can afford sunscreen and outdoor workers are properly protected from the sun.
This report provides the roadmap we need to save lives and reduce the £750 million annual cost of skin cancer to the NHS.
The inquiry, chaired by Carolyn Harris MP, highlighted that 31% of parents currently admit they cannot always afford sun protection for their whole family. Experts estimate that every £1 given up in VAT revenue by zero-rating sunscreen would return £2.47 in NHS savings by 2033.
Carolyn Harris MP, Chair of the APPG, added:
We must stop short-term thinking about sun protection...
We are calling on the Government to lead a sustained, national campaign—built on cross-party consensus—that mirrors the 40-year success of Australia’s ‘Slip, Slop, Slap!’ initiative.
